WWUTT 1861 By Faith Noah (Hebrews 11:7)

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Noah was warned of a judgment to come and he believed God and made preparations and was saved.

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We are likewise warned of a judgment that is to come. Believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins when we understand the text.

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Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When we understand the text is committed to teaching sound doctrine and rebuking those who contradict it.

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Visit our website at www .utt .com. Here once again is Pastor Gabe.

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Thank you Becky. We're back to our study in the book of Hebrews chapter 11. The hall of faith is where we are and I'm going to start by reading in verse 7, go through verse 16.

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We'll begin with these 10 verses out of the Legacy Standard Bible. This is the word of the

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Lord. By faith Noah, being warned about things not yet seen.

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In reverence, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

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By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going.

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By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is

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God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life since she regarded him faithful who had promised.

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Therefore there were born even of one man and him as good as dead at that.

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As many as the stars of heaven in number and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

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All these died in faith without receiving the promises but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

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For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own and indeed if they had been remembering that country from which they went out they would have had opportunity to return.

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But now they aspire to a better country that is a heavenly one.

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Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he prepared a city for them.

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I love this section, might be my favorite section of Hebrews especially when you consider those last few verses that I read there.

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These men of faith, men and women of faith that we're reading about in Hebrews 11 they were promised things that oftentimes when we look at those promises we think of earthly promises.

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But here it says plainly they were not anticipating to receive something on earth they desired something better and God prepared for them a heavenly place which they have received having finished their lives in faith.

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And so likewise we are promised the same we're promised heavenly reward an entrance into the kingdom of God by faith in Jesus if we persevere to the end.

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This faith is given to us by God he will keep us in this faith and he will deliver us ultimately at the conclusion of this life and entering into the next.

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As Paul said in Philippians 1 .6 I am confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it at the day of Christ.

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So let's come back to our hall of faith who were the new figures that were introduced to us in these 10 verses.

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We heard about Noah we heard about Abraham and we heard about Sarah. So let's come into Noah in verse 7 by faith

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Noah being warned about things not yet seen in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household.

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Now let me stop there. So Noah warned about things not yet seen. Remember what we last read when

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I went through Abel and Enoch which would have been on Wednesday of last week. So that section with Abel and Enoch is bookended with verses 3 and 6.

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I think I said bookmarked it's actually bookended that was the term I was really looking for.

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So the bookends are verse 3 and verse 6. Verse 3 again by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

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Okay, remember that and what did I say on Wednesday? We understand worlds to mean a

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Hebrew would have understood that to mean ages by faith. We understand that the ages were prepared by the word of God.

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So things not yet seen things that were going to happen in time. No one but God would have known he decreed those things from before the foundation of the world and he will fulfill that which he has decreed.

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He is not only decreed the end from the beginning but he has decreed the means to those ends.

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So God is not only decreed these things from eternity past but he even works in the midst of all that happens by his providence bringing about those things that he means to take place.

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So by faith we understand the worlds the ages were prepared by the word of God.

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He not only brought all things into existence by his word, but he has declared the end from the beginning by his word.

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And these were things that were not yet seen not any of these events had happened yet, but God proclaimed them and so they came to pass verse 6 and without faith.

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It is impossible to please him for he who draws near must believe that he is he who draws near to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

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So why do I mention those two things as bookmarks? Well first of all those passages are on the opposite side of Abel and Enoch, but also both passages mentioned things unseen the ages were unseen so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible and then we have the unseen mentioned in verse 6 as well the unseen being

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God without faith. It is impossible to please him for he who draws near to God must believe that he is we don't see him.

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The reason why we don't see him is because of sin part of the curse is that we were separated from God and he's hard to see.

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It's not an easy thing to see God which is which is why it's by faith for who believes in what he sees but we believe in what we do not see.

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Now we certainly know God is there and as it said in Romans 1 verses 18 to 20 that God's invisible attributes namely his eternal power in divine nature are clearly perceived in all that has been made so man will man is without excuse.

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No one is going to stand before God on Judgment Day and be able to say to him what we just didn't know you kept yourself hidden.

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If you had shown yourself to us then we would have believed. No the the attributes of God not just his existence but even his attributes his eternal power and divine nature are clearly perceived in all that has been made man doesn't have any excuse and the reason why

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God is not saying is not seen is not because he's playing a trick on us. It's because we're sinners and he's holy and so part of that separation means that we're not just we're not going to be able to just turn around and see

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God there and if we did it would fry us. We would not be able to look at the holy presence of God.

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Three of the disciples were given a very limited appearance Peter James and John and it terrified them the transfiguration of Christ before them when that that veil of his flesh was taken away for a moment and they saw him in his glory and it terrified them

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Moses God said to Moses you cannot look at my face and live and so Moses only saw him from behind as he passed by but even that encounter with God when

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Moses came down off the mountain his face was glowing so that no one could look at him imagine a person's face shining that brightly that you couldn't even look at him.

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You know there are certain streetlights we can't stare at too long because you know put spots in front of our eyes it might even hurt your eyes.

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You know you can't look at the sun for too long you'll downright damage your eyes. So how bright was

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Moses face shining that people could look at him he had to wear a veil over his face but that's what it's like to be in the presence of the glory of God and because we're sinful and he's holy we just don't get that kind of access very few men in the

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Bible got the opportunity to do that Moses as I mentioned and as we read recently going through Isaiah he had the chance to see

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God in his glory in Isaiah 6 and when Isaiah saw him he was terrified he thought he was a dead man because I've seen the glory of God but God made him able to stand in his presence and have that conversation with him the only way that we can come into the presence of God and be able to fellowship with him is by his own mercy and grace.

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So without faith it's impossible to please him we must believe that he exists and he rewards those who earnestly seek him so we've got kind of another book in here even though verse 6 bookends with verse 3 so you have 4 and 5 in the middle verse 6 could also book in with what

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I read in verses 15 and 16 or probably 14 through 16 so because we talk there about how he rewards those who seek him well that's what

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Abraham believed he believed in God that he that he is that he really exists and he believed that God rewards those who seek him because what do we have coming up here we have the story of Abraham and Sarah who believed that God was a rewarder and they received far greater than just a child just an heir although that would have been enough but they become the parents of entire nations that would come after them and what they inherited was a kingdom the heavenly kingdom of God even in that place in paradise it's referred to by Jesus in Luke 16 as Abraham's bosom there at Abraham's side because the children of Abraham knew that when they went to go be in the presence of God they went to a place that was given to Abraham so likewise the children of Abraham those who truly believe

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God would receive the true children of Abraham not just anybody who was born in the line of Abraham Jesus was very clear about that as well so we go from that we go from that statement there without faith it is impossible to please him you must believe that he exists you must believe that he is a rewarder of those who seek him we go from that to Noah Noah's faith verse 7 by faith

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Noah being warned about things not yet seen so that goes back to verse 3 the worlds were prepared by the

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Word of God so that what is seen was not made out of those things which are visible those things that God prepared no one could have seen from eternity past only

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God knew those things and so Noah was warned about things about events that were not yet seen not just the destruction of the world by the flood that was going to come upon the earth but Noah had never seen rain like that before no one had ever seen rain like that before no one had any idea that the world could ever flood and be destroyed in that way so Noah was warned and Noah being talked about in Genesis as a righteous man he is the man

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God chooses to preserve the human race and even all the animals from being completely wiped out in this judgment that God was bringing incidentally that word righteous does not appear in the

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Bible until it describes Noah so for five chapters of the Bible Genesis 1 through 5 we've never seen the word righteous it comes up for the first time to describe

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Noah Genesis 6 9 these are the generations of Noah Noah was a righteous man blameless among those in his generations

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Noah walked with God and when God gave

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Noah instructions to build an ark because he was going to bring judgment upon the earth he was going to destroy the earth in a flood never nothing like that had ever been seen before but Noah believed

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God and he built this ark it took him over a hundred years I don't know if you're familiar with that but took him a long time to build that ark and he had four sons

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Shem, Ham and Japheth who helped him build the ark after building the ark after all of the animals are gathered onto this floating vessel which was really more like a barge than a boat though most images that we see of the ark are like a boat but anyway in Genesis 7 1 it says then

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Yahweh said to Noah enter the ark you and all your household for you alone

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I have seen to be righteous before me in this generation the wickedness of man grieved the heart of God he regretted that he had made man on the earth and so he purges the earth he cleanses the earth of wickedness in this flood save Noah his three sons and their wives eight people on an ark and a whole bunch of animals

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Noah was warned about these things not yet seen and in reverence he prepared an ark for the salvation of his household by which he condemned the world now that's been a confusing phrase to some biblical scholars especially those well -versed in Greek trying to understand the language that's being used here by what did he condemn the world well first of all who is he he is in reference to Noah not in reference to God because God is not mentioned in verse 7 to be the nearest antecedent you know what

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I mean by that so so if God had been mentioned and we have by which he condemned the world then we could tie the he back to God is the nearest antecedent but in this case the nearest antecedent is

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Noah so the the one condemning is Noah by which he condemned the world now how did

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Noah condemned the world did he condemn the world by building the ark by trusting

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God building the ark bringing his family on board all of the animals and then through this the rest of the world is condemned is that what that's in reference to because some commentaries

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I've read would would say that's what that's in reference to by which is the ark by the ark he condemned the world but there are others that will say that it's by faith and that's why this is kind of confusing

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I would say that's the most likely answer by faith he condemned the world because that's the statement that starts verse 7 by faith

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Noah and so then halfway through by which he so it's the same same phrase repeated by faith

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Noah being warned about things not yet seen in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household that's the first half of the sentence by faith

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Noah condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith that that would be

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I think the proper way to read it and especially when you consider in 2nd Peter 2 5 we read the following God did not spare the ancient world but preserved

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Noah a preacher of righteousness with seven others when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly so Noah in his righteousness was a herald of righteousness now we don't know for sure if Noah proclaimed to the people in those days hey repent turn back to God because he's bringing a flood upon the earth you need to repent or you're going to perish we don't know if if Noah stood up and evangelized in that way or if being called a herald of righteousness simply meant that he lived in the fear of God he lived in reverence as said here in Hebrews 11 7 and by his righteous deeds as one who walked with God that in itself was a testimony to the wickedness of man for which they were going to be condemned for for which they were condemned and were coming into destruction so we could simply mean that because Noah believed by faith and he obeyed

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God and he walked righteously these things became the condemnation for the rest of the world so by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith so there's kind of the two sides of the same coin he condemned the world and became an heir of righteousness which is according to faith all of us become an heir of righteousness by faith we all receive eternal reward by faith in Jesus Christ we become an heir of the righteousness we receive righteousness from God and we also receive the reward for that righteousness because once again back to 6 without faith it is impossible to please him for he who draws near to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him and so likewise that's what

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Noah received he became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith and we will receive the same if we believe in Jesus Christ and put our faith and trust in him he who died for the for he alone is the propitiation for our sins the wrath of God satisfied by faith in Jesus Christ and we will be saved from the next judgment that is coming upon the world

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Jesus said that just as it was in the days of Noah so it will be also in the days of the son of man they were eating and they were drinking and they were marrying and they were being given in marriage until that day that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all it was the same as in the days of Lot they were eating and they were drinking they were buying they were selling they were planting they were building but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all it will be just the same on the day that the son of man is revealed in second

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Peter chapter 3 he makes the same comparison there was a judgment that came upon the earth by a flood of water and there's another judgment that's coming by a flood of fire so he says this second

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Peter 3 beginning in verse 5 it escapes their notice talking about the wicked it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water through which the world at that time was destroyed being deluged with water but by his word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men but do not let this one fact escape your notice beloved that with the

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Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day the

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Lord is not slow about his promise as some consider slowness but is patient toward you talking to Christians talking to the elect because that's who's addressed at the beginning of second

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Peter he is patient toward you not willing for any of his elect to perish but for all of the elect to come to repentance but the day of the

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Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be found out since all these things are to be destroyed in this way what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed and the elements will melt with intense heat but according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells amen to that so if you believe by faith live by faith as said in romans 1 17 the just will live by faith heavenly father we thank you for the word we've read today the example of noah that is given to us here he believed in what you said in something that was coming and in reverence before you in reverent fear of God he obeyed

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God prepared for that day and he and his family were saved while the rest of the world was condemned so as we recognize that is the promise even for now there is a judgment that is coming will we be like noah and respond in faith and prepare our families for that day so that they may come to know the gospel of Jesus Christ he who died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead so that all who believe in him will not perish in this judgment that is to come but they will have everlasting life with God may we herald this righteousness even before the world living in a righteous manner in the way of our savior warning them of the judgment that is to come so that they will flee and come to Christ and so be saved let us not shrink back in these present days but hold fast to the word of your promise the promise of the judgment that is to come and the promise of deliverance for all who believe in Jesus it's in his name that we pray amen for more about our ministry visit us online at www .tt